1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the disclosure relate in general to the field of computers and similar technologies and, in particular, to software utilized in this field. More specifically, it relates to the transmission of electronic messages using an instant messaging system.
2. Description of the Related Art
An instant messaging system (IMS) provides a simple way to exchange real-time, text-based messages between users who are connected to on-line or electronic networking environments such as the Internet, intranets, and extranets. These systems, which have gained popularity due to their simplicity and ease of use, require both sender and recipient to be simultaneously logged-on to exchange messages. Users that are logged-on are typically indicated through visual cues, such as icons or text attributes (e.g., font, color, bold face, etc.). By ensuring that the recipient is available when a message is sent, the message can be delivered and presented to the recipient nearly instantaneously.
To send an IMS message, a user generally logs on with an IMS client, selects one or more recipients from an address book of other IMS users that are currently on-line, and then composes and sends a message. However, there are situations where the requirement for IMS message recipients to be concurrently logged-on becomes problematic, such as when a message recipient's on-line status changes during an IMS session. For example, a sender may be typing a message to a recipient only to discover that the recipient has gone off-line, resulting in the message being rejected by the IMS.
There are cases when the sender's message is not time-critical and it would be preferable to provide an alternative message delivery method instead of simply discarding the sender's message. For example, it may be possible to reach a recipient email, text pager, or voicemail when they when they cannot be reached by an IMS. Current alternative IMS message delivery methods include conversion of IMS messages to alternative text formats for delivery to email or text pager systems. Other approaches include text-to-speech (TTS) conversion of IMS messages for delivery to a user's telephone or voicemail. However, there are times when these options are insufficient and it would be advantageous for an IMS user to be able to generate a voice message while remaining on-line and without being required to place a separate phone call.